Amazon often earns its reputation as the world's largest online retailer due to the fact that they offer tons of awesome discounts and services that most of us don't know about until they've been around for years. The latest? Their virtual outlet store.

A number of us at Lifehacker (myself included) and plenty of people on the internet seem to have missed Amazon's Outlet store, where you can score major discounts on anything from TVs to tablets to clothing to pet supplies. You can search it for a specific item or browse a specific category (e.g. video games) for markdowns of a specific amount (e.g. 40% off). If you aren't aware of the virtual outlet store, check it before you buy anything new from Amazon.

I found my timbuk2 messenger bag on there for half off because it was "open box." It came still in the package and in perfect condition.

I have, however, ordered from Amazon Warehouse Deals in the past with good results. When using the Outlet store you need to be sure to visit the product page and view your other buying options. If you scroll down the new and used choices, you'll likely find a handful of Amazon Warehouse Deals. This is where you'll save the most money. I've yet to purchased a refurbished product from Amazon that didn't work well, but if there's ever a problem they never hesitate to cover the cost of a return or replacement. If you want to get some big discounts without much risk, the Outlet page can help you find what you're looking for.